Connecter



W. P. GISSKE Decl ll, 1934.

CONNECTER Filed May 12, 1.932

Patented Dec. 11, '1934` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,984,016 CONNECTERWalter P. Gisske, Chicago, Ill. Application May 12, 1932, serial No.610,870

5 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical connecters and more particularlyl toa means for fastening electrical conductors to terminal connecters suchfor example as the plug-in type of terminals so commonly used onelectrical appliance cords for plugging into wall sockets and the like.

My invention contemplates the provision of a device of this character inwhich the conductors are merely laid in place and then, by the use of ascrew driver or other similar tool, a yielding locking member forces thewire to bend between two shoulders and locks itself within the bend madein the wire.

I will describe the preferred form of my in- Vention by reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein- Fig. l is a View of the prong face of aplug embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the prong carrying unit which alsocarries the locking device.

In the ordinary plug as now constructed, the prong carrying unit has ascrew threaded opening to receive a terminal screw which secures theconductor to the prong. My invention contemplates a structure whichavoids the use of screws and the attendent diiiiculty of twisting a wirearound them and which also gives a maximum spacing of the conductorswhere they are secured to the prong carrying members.

Referring now to the drawing, the two prong carrying members 5 and 6 areeach fixed in the insulating body 7, for example, by being secured tothe pin 8 which is molded in the insulating body 7 and which is upset asindicated at 9 to hold the member 5 in place. The member 5 also has arecess at 10 receiving the lug 11 molded in the insulated body 7.Directly opposite the recess 10, the member 5 is provided with a pin 12which holds the locking member 13 on the member 5. This locking prong ormember 13 is pivoted by means of the pin 12 which may be upset at theouter end 14 so that the member 13 may swing r about the pin 12 as anaxis. This locking prong 13 is preferably made of resilient material sothat it can be bowed at the reduced portion 15 intermediate its ends inthe locking operation.

Directly opposite the pivot point of the prong 13,'the member 5 isturned up as indicated at 16, and the line along which it is turned upis preferably substantially on a tangent of a circle about the pin 12 ascenter, the line starting on a radius which extends from the pin 12parallel to the connecting prong 1'7. The upturned portion 16 is soformed as to provide a pair of shoulders at 18 and 19 (see Fig. 1), andbetween the shoulders 1S and 19 space is provided so that the conductor20 may bend outwardly away from the locking prong 13 in the manner shownat 21. The free end of the locking member 13 approaches so close to theupturned portion 16 of the member 5 that it must atten the conductorstrands 20 in swinging past shoulder 19 into the space between the twoshoulders 18 and 19. Being resilient, this locking prong can be sprungsuiciently to force it into place, and, in case it is desired to removethe conductor, the prong can be sprung enough to snap it out frombetween the shoulders again. The portion 16 of the member 5 which isturned up has the extension 22 which extends over the shoulders 19 and18 so that the conductor 20 when placed between the flat bottom of themember 5 and the portion 22 cannot become displaced while the member 13is being forced into locking position. The contact making prongs 17 areof the usual type and, being integral with the base member 5, they arerigidly attached tothe insulating body 7. The free ends of theconductors 20 naturally are directed `away from the central portion ofthe plug, and, if the free end is too long, it may bend around as shownat 23 in Fig. 1.

When the conductors are locked in place in the manner shown in Fig. 1,it is evident that the possibility of their becoming frayed andcontacting with each other to cause a short circuit is very remote owingto the positions they are left in. Furthermore, if the conductors arepulled as for example by grasping a cord to remove the plug from thesocket, this pull only tends to draw the prong 13 more tightly againstthe wire so that no slipping can take place. A plug constructed in thisfashion eliminates the necessity of using screws in fastening theconductors in place and makes a cheaper and stronger connection than theusual connection made by winding a conductor around a terminal screw.

Having thus described one specific form of my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A connecter comprising a base having a seat for receiving a wire andhaving in said seat two spaced apart shoulders with space between theshoulders for a wire in the seat to bend and a locking member on saidbase movable against a wire in said seat to bend it between saidshoulders and lock it in position, said locking member comprising aprong member pivoted on said base directly opposite said shoulders saidprong being offset between its ends.

2. A plug-in connecter for electric cords having a body of insulatingmaterial apertured to receive electric conductors, a pair of metalmembers mounted on said body and having connnecting prongs projectingtherefrom, and means for connecting the conductors to said memberscomprising upturned portions on said members cut away to provide a pairof spaced shoulders with a hollow therebetween, a lock member mountedopposite said shoulders and having a point swingable past said shouldersinto the hollow to force a conductor placed across said shoulders tobend into the hollow.

3. A plug-in connecter for electric cords havinga body of insulatingmaterial apertured to receive electric conductors, a pair of metalmembers mounted on said body and having connecting prongs projectingtherefrom, and means for connecting the conductors to said memberscomprising upturned portions on said members cut away to provide a pairof spaced shoulders with a hollow therebetween, a look member pivotedopposite said shoulders and having a point swingable past said shouldersinto the hollowto force a conductor placed across said shoulders to bendinto the hollow, said locking member comprising a resilient curvedprong.

4. A connecter comprising a base plate having an upturned portion at oneedge thereof, said portion being cut away to provide a pair of spacedshoulders on one side of the base plate with a hollow therebetween, alock member pivoted on said base opposite said shoulders and having apoint swingable past said shoulders into the hollow to force a conductorplaced across said shoulders to bend into the hollow, said lockingmember comprising a resilient prong offset between its ends in its planeof rotation about its pivot.

A connecter comprising a base plate having an upturned portion at oneedge thereof, said portion being cut away to provide a pair of spacedshoulders on one side of the base plate with a hollow therebetween, alock member pivoted on said base opposite said shoulders and having apoint swingable past said shoulders into the hollow to force a conductorplaced across said shoulders to bend into the hollow, said lockingmember comprising a resilient prong offset between its ends in its planeof rotation about its pivot said upturned portion being extended towardthe pivot of the prong over said shoulders to provide a trough for theconductor.

WALTER P, GISSKE.

